A 19-year-old man was arrested and charged with several felonies after fleeing law enforcement in a stolen vehicle in Kalispell.
John Nielsen Jr. faces felony theft and two felony assault on a peace officer charges after a late-night chase with Kalispell police and Flathead County sheriff’s deputies that occurred just after midnight on May 17.
According to a statement from the Kalispell Police Department, officers responded to a call about a reckless driver in Kalispell’s downtown area. The caller reported that the vehicle had flat tires, was swerving all over the road, driving on the sidewalk and ignoring traffic signals.
When officers tried to stop the driver, he failed to stop. A slow-speed pursuit lasted for a few blocks and then then the driver pulled to the side of the road. He attempted to flee when officers approached the vehicle, but he was blocked by arriving patrol units.
He then backed up and almost struck a police officer, and eventually came to rest after hitting a sheriff’s deputy’s patrol car. Once he was stopped, Nielsen allegedly kept revving the engine as officers tried to gain access the car. Officers eventually resorted to breaking the front right window to get into the car and take Nielsen into custody.
Investigators later determined that the vehicle Nielsen had been driving had been stolen and was involved in a hit-and-run accident.
Along with the three felonies, Nielsen also faces multiple misdemeanor charges. He remains in custody at the Flathead County Detention Center.